Formula 3 to be celebrated at Cadwell Park

This new two-day historic meeting will feature six races for Formula 3 cars, spanning thirty years of the category from the early post-war period through to the Ayrton Senna era of the early 1980s. Right through those decades, Cadwell Park was an important date on the Formula 3 schedule.

Launched today at Race Retro, the International Historic Motorsport Show, the Wolds Trophy is designed to be an annual historic festival for Cadwell Park to match existing high-profile race meetings at the other MotorSport Vision venues of Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton.

As well as a full programme of saloon car, sports car and single-seater racing from the HSCC, the Wolds Trophy will host six races covering four generations of Formula 3 car. Through history, Formula 3 has been the most successful proving ground for future Grand Prix drivers, with drivers like Ayrton Senna, Jackie Stewart, James Hunt, Damon Hill, David Coulthard and Jenson Button all establishing their reputation in Formula 3.

In action over two days of racing at Easter will be cars from the 500cc Owners' Association for the cars from the late 1940s. These spectacular motorbike-engined cars will make a rare visit to Cadwell Park for two races in their season-long schedule. It was this category that was instrumental in the start of car racing at Cadwell Park when, in 1953, a grid of 500cc F3 cars was added to a traditional motorbike meeting. Sir Stirling Moss OBE first made his name racing this type of car soon after the Second World War.

Moving on an era will be two races for the Peter Hanson Trophy for 1000cc Formula 3 cars, the category that thrilled fans with incredibly close racing from 1964 to 1970. Then, to take the story through the 1970s will be two races for the HSCC Classic F3 Championship for the 1600cc and 2-litre F3 cars

In addition, the meeting will feature two races for Formula Junior cars, representing the class that took over from F3 as the major international junior single-seater category between 1959 and 1963.

"I'm delighted that the HSCC has chosen Cadwell Park for its Formula 3 celebration event," said Jonathan Palmer, Chief Executive of MotorSport Vision. "Cadwell has a long association with F3, as 500cc motorcycle-engined Formula 3 machines were the first cars to compete at the circuit in the 1950s. It's a fantastic driver's circuit, oozing with character, and an exhilarating place to drive an F3 car. I have fond memories of winning there in 1981, and of Ayrton Senna crashing at the Mountain in 1983! It's also a fantastic opportunity for spectators to enjoy some wonderful period machinery in a period circuit environment - no doubt it's going to be a fabulous weekend."

-source: hscc